The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-06-17
WHEAT PROSPECTS.


ginning of new crop year in cereals,
and as usual i'm the month of June we
have some indications of what may rea-
sonably be expected to be the outcome
of winter wheat, and only little less of
the probabilities of spring wheat. The
importance of this To the general bust
ness interests of the country is very
great, not only because of the fact that
wheat is the main breadstuffs staple of
the country, but also because it is, next
to cotton, the chief article of export. 1t
must be promised, however, that any
estimate of the wheat crop before il is
actually secured, is very much like
counting chickens before they are
Matched, because il sometimes happens
that a large part of the crop is ruined, or
greatly damaged, by continuous rains at
harvest time; but the wheat crop is
about as certain as any other. The De-
partment of Agriculture, which, by the
way, is not department at all, but
merely bureau of the Department of
L
acreage of winter wheat of nearly two
per cent. and an increase of six per
cent. in the acreage of spring wheat,
making the acreage in round numbers
"a ,OOO, OO0 acres of winter and 1900, 900
acres of spring wheat, a total of 81 Co.,
600 acres, which is an increase of only a
little over one-half of one per cent. over
last year. The average yield per acre
last year was II bushels. The highest
average during the past eleven years
was 1873 bushels in 1877, and also in 1879,
but in the year of our largest production,
which was in 1884, the average yield per
acre was Is bushels on slightly over 80,
475, 1855 acres-the largest in the history
of the country-making total produc-
ton of 5l2, 673 800 bushels. In 1882,
when the area was only 81 ,O67 ,l94 acres,
the average yield was 1876 bushels, and
the total crop 504 1885, 40 bushels. The
smallest average yield per acre in the
eleven years last past was 10.l bushels
in 1881. Applying the past averages to
i
the wheat crop this season are, accord.
/ ing to the lowest average production in
eleven years, $4,000 bushels, and
according to the highest average, 5l0,'
GOO, 900 bushels, while the average yield
for eleven years would make 400, lOO, OO(
bushels, which is not far from last years
production, which was 457 lis, 600 bush
els. The June condition of winter
wheat last year was reported at 92.7 and
this year at $40. The average condition
of spring wheat is SIS, which is lower
than il usually is in June, but higher
than il was at the time of harvest last
year. In view of all these facts it seems
probable that the average yield per acre
will fall largely short of the highest pos
sibilities, but will be considerably above
the lowest, so that we shall be doing
well if we approximate an average yield
The acreage being only slightly larger
than last year, and the conditions less
favorable, the probabilities are that the
total yield will be smaller. At an aver
age yield of liz bushels per acre-against
124 bushels last year-the total produc-
ton would approximately 425 5000, 0OO
bushels, which is 81, OOO, 600 less than the
last crop. Such crop, added to the sur
plus of old wheat which remain ON hand
on July l, will enable us TO export only
about lbs, 100000 bushels, without re-
ducing our surplus to an exceedingly
low point. During the past year, begin
ming July /, 1886, We have exported
more than this, and by the end of this
month the exports will approximate
l5O, 600 900 bushels for the full year. II
the harvests in Europe and other foreign
countries should be up to the average
the worlds supply of wheat will be about
equal to the consumptive requirements,
but there are complaints in Great Brit
ain and France that the season is back
ward, and that always means deficiency
in yield, especially IN Great Britain, I'M
less the subsequent weather proves un-
usually favorable for maturing and har-
vesting. The present indications are,
therefore, that the foreign demand for
the ensuing year will be large enough to
absorb our surplus, in which case a re-
turn to the abnormally low prices which
have been current for two or more years.
the world over. would not be justified.